Document Page: First | Prev | Next | All | Image | This Release | Search
File: 082696_d50022_181.txt
* FROM TME GROU~~D CAMPAIGN
(Written by~Col C.J. Quilter USMOR, I MEF G-3H)
The Breaches
During the night-before G-Day, a reconnaisance Marine with
* two combat engineers from 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines, of 1st
* Marine Division's Task Fo6ce Taro infiltrated across the first
* minefield. Their mission was to surreptitiously mark a lane so
that Taro could traverse the danger zone safely on foot7:Somewhat
to their surprise, they found themselves uncomfortably close to
trenches and bu~~ers whereupon they were discovered by Iraqi
troops. They quickly went into a combat stance, and then shot an
* enemy soldier who was attempting to fire first. This was~fol1owed
* * by commotion as some forty other Iraqis immediately surrendered
to the trio. Confronted by this unexpected situation,-but
* undaunted, the Marines successfully shepherded their new
* prisoners back through the minefield.
-* The Breaches (cont'd) - The Traditional Way
Colonel James A. Fulks, 45, commands the 4th Marine Regiment
and Task Force Grizzly, an infantry force of the 1st Marine
Division. They were tasked with breaching a single minebelt, 15
miles south of al Jaber airfield, and then to screen the left
flank of mechanized Task Force Ripper from direct fire. By
February 16th, Grizzly had actually marched 20 kilometers into
Xuwait - the first significant retaking of Kuwaiti territory -
and set up its jump off areas. The only problem was that Remotely
-* * Piloted Vehicles and human reconnaissance was unable to locate a
* lane through the minefield.
Fulks now ordered the commander of 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines,
~ieutenant Colonel Tim ~anniga~, to infiltrate the mine belt by
force on the night before G-Day. Hannigan's first problem was
resclved by Iraqis who began walking through the minefield to
surrender. The new enemy prisoners of war now obligingly marked
the lane with chemical lights provided by the Marines. Then to
the dismay of Fulks and Hannigan, a second unreported minebelt
was discovered. This had evidently been emplaced to discourage
retreating by the Iraqi defenders.
This second difficulty was resolved in traditional Marine
fashion: Staff Sergeant Restifo of the ~ngineer Platoon took his
bayonet and probed for mines quietly in the darkness,-marking a
footpath as he went. Two companies passed through the second
minefield by 0200 of G-Day via Restifo's path, which was soon
enlarged to allow passage of the artillery of 5th Battalion, 11th
Marines.
Direct Fire Hits by the M198
"H" Battery of 3rd Battalion, 14th Marines from Richmond,
Virginia, is commanded by Captain Paul Brier. On Febraury 25th,
1 *
I /
Document Page: First | Prev | Next | All | Image | This Release | Search